Number-plate-printing machine



Nov. 12,1929. J. F. KI ELY 1,735,252

NUMBER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l flw/ w ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 12, 1929. J. F. KIELY 1,735,252

NUMBER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I \LL IIYVENTOR.

- W @WW ATTORNEY5,

Nov. 12, 1929. J. F. KIELY NUMBER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Apz 'rl 7. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E l I 45 INVENTOR.

- KY WM 2Q 45 44wn4 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 Y I UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcn Application filed Apri17, 1927. Serial No. 181,724.

T his invention relates to printing or stampor way 7 extending transversely in the front ing machines particularly adapted for printportion thereof in front of the upright poring numbers as serial numbers and other tion 4. of the overhanging arm and beneath data on the metal platesas the name or numthe horizontal portion of said arm.

her plates which are usually applied to ma- 8 is the carriage movable along the guide, 5 chines and articles of manufacture and has the carriage also having a second carriage for its object, a machine which is particu- '9 movable crosswise thereof that is, forward larly simple in construction, highly eflicient, ly and rearwardly and having means for durable and rapid in use, and particularly holding the plate, the carriage 9 being mov- 10 a machine in which the type can be quickly able in ways 10 formed in the carriage 8 (1O brought to the printing line and the plate and extending crosswise thereof relatively automatically shifted after each operation to the direction of the ways 7, that is, the in position to receive the next impression. Ways '7 and 10 extend at a right angle to It further has for its object, means by which each other. The carriage 9 is held in its the machine is readily adjusted to hold difadjusted position along its ways 10 by means as ferent sized plates. of a spring pressed lock 12 pivoted at 18 The invention consists in the novel features to the edge of the carriage 8 and coacting and in the combinations and constructions with a'not-ched plate 1% on the sub-carriage hereinafter set forth and claimed. 9. This plate l l is also adjustablerelativa In describing this invention, referenceis ly to the carriage 9 and is secured thereto,

had to the accompanying drawings in which as by a screw 15 extending through a slot like characters designate corresponding parts 16 in the plate 14: and threading into the in all the views. carriage 9. The plate 14 has notches spaced Figure l is a front elevation of a machine different distances apart along its opposite 5 embodying my invention. edges and is reversible to bring either set of 7 Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a side notches in position to coact withthe spring elevation and a plan view thereof. pressed lock 12. By reason of the reversible Fi 4 d 5 r f t y detail feature of this plate and the notch edges views f th egcape nent mechanism d @011. with the notches spaced different distances tiguous parts, Figure 4 being a plan view apart, the carriage 9 has a wide range of so d F gum 5 d i looking upwardly adjustments to locate the impression receivin Figure 4:. r I ing space on the plate relatively to the type This printing machine comprises generalhead or printing wheel to be presently dely, a frame forinedwith a suitable way or SC l e s id a l t a i e bl v al th The carriage 8 is provided with adjustable guide, a plunger movable toward and from gages 17 thereon for plates of different length the plate on the carriage and carrying a and forlocating the plate on the carriage, rotatable type wheel, manual means for setthese gages being plates or strips with upting the type wheel, escapenient mechanism turned abutments 18, the plates or strips being operated by the movement of the plunger held in position by screws 19 extending and means for locating the plate at a parthrough lengthwise slots 20 in the gage plates ticular space thereon at the printing line. and threading into the main carriage 8. The

l designates the frame which includes a gages may be shifted toward or from each base portion 2 and'an overhanging arm 3, other to conform to the size of the plate, or

this overhanging arm including an upright both may be shifted to the right or left to portion l rising from the rear portion of the coact withthe carriage 9 to locate the im base and a horizontal portion secured to I pression receiving space at the printing line.

the end of the upright portion in any suit- The carriage 9 also has a straight edge abutable manner as by dowel pins 5 and a screw ment 21 along its rear edge and a movable The base is also formed with a guide .or manually operable abutment opposed to the abutment 2 The in and out adjustment or locating of the plate by shifting the carriage 9 isthusindependent of the right and left effected by shifting the gage 22 designates the movable or manually operable abutment, it being also operable to permit the plates to be rapidly inserted and removed from printing position andto cooperate with the abutment 21 and the gages 17 to hold the plates in position during the printing operation. The movable abutment 22 is here shown as a lever pivoted at 23 to the sub-carriage 9 and having a gage plate 24 at one end for engaging the edge oi the plate opposite to that engagin the abutment 21. The gage2l and the abutment 2i provide a releasable clamping gage for the printing plate. This plate 2% is adjustable transversely of th lever 22 to slates of terent width andis held in its adjusted position by screws 25, the heads of which overlap the plate 2 The lever 22 is pressed into its operated position by the leaf spricured to the front edge of the carriage 9 and W the coacting with a downturned end 24' lever 22.

In operation, these gages arranged for the plate of partici be operated on and tne plate is set the ca 'ri'age 9 to the proper cross position to locate the numbers to be printed at a particular line between the front and rear edges of the plate and the gages 17 are also located to place the printing space in the right position with respect to the end edges of the plate.

28 is the spring tending to move the carriage 8 in one direction as to the left, Figure 1, this spring being located beneath the car-, riage 8 and lined at one end at 29 to an abutment onthe base 1 and at its other end at 30 to the carriage. The carriage is normally set with the spring tensioned.

no movement of the carriage is limited by an adjustable stop or set screw 31 carried by the base and the movement of the carriage is controlled by an escapement to be presently c escribet 32 is a plunger movable vertically in a guide or bearing 33 at the "front end of the overhanging arm 3, this plunger having a head 3% at its upper end and a type head at its lower end, the type head being a wheel 35 mountedin the plunger to move about a horizontal axis to bring dilterent type on its periphery to the printing line. It also h: s corresponding numbers or characters at 35 readable from the front side of the wheel to guide the operator in setting the wheel. Manual means are provided for turning the type wheel, consisting of a rotary spindle journalled in the plunger and extending radially relatively to the axis of the wheel 35, this spindle having a toothed wheel 87 thereon meshing with teeth 38 on the iub gagement with the rack.

of the type wheel 35. The type wheel is held centered or in the position to which it is turned by the spindle 36, by spring pressed pawl 39 carried by the plunger and coacting with notches a0 in a notched wheel notch face a l on the type wheel l he downward movement the plunger is against the action of a sp 'ng to be pr sently described.

The escapement mechanism comprises a rack 43 provided on the carriage 8 and a pair of escapement pawis er, a5 pivoted to lugs 6 on the base, each of these pa is having angularly extending arms l? which are connected by a s 'ing as. She pawl is engaged with the racl: l3 while the other is out of engage ment with the rack. The escapement is operated by mechanism carried partly by the rear portion of the base at one side of the overhanging a and by mechanism carried by the overhanging arm 3 and connected to the plunger 32. The mechanism carried the base includes an angle lever pivoted 49 to the base and having one arm extending under the escapement pawls ll, so to coact with cam surfaces 50 and 51 thereon and having its other arm acted upon by a retu spring 52 and for coacting with g the mechanism operated by the plunger This mechanism consists of an angle lever 53 pivoted at 5% tn the overhanging arm a ing one arm thereof coacting with the lever 49 and its other arm connected to the plunger 02 or to a laterally extending pivot pin 55 extending from the plunger through a slot in the bearing 33.

Upon the depression oi"; the plunger 32, the motion thereof will be transierimd through the lever 53 to the lever s9, which will b moved from the position shown in Figures 0 and t to the right, moving the escapement pawl 25 upwardly out of engagement with the rack 43 and at the same time, movin' p wl er into engagement with the racs, carriage 8 during such movement making but a slight advance which brings the tootl- $5 on top or' the nest rack tooth to the right. Durthe upward movement of the plunger 33 under the influence or" the spring 52, the lever moves'in the reverse direction, thus permitting the lever 49 to be returned by its spring 52 and in so doing litt'the escapement pawl it out of engagement with the rack and pulling the escapemcnt pawl into en- However, as the pawl 45 is now on the upper end of tooth, the spring 28 is tree to move the carriage S to the left until the next space between the rack teeth comes in alinement with the tooth ot the pawl 45. lhe starting position of the carriage 8 when the spring 28 is tensicned is determined by an adjustable stop 57.

In operation, the gages l7 and to conform to the length and widt of plate and the gages 1'? are also to tion and the plate laterally on the carriage 8 and the carriage 9 is adjusted to locate the printing spaces and the operator pulls tor- Wardly on the lever 22 inserts the plate against the gages and then releases the lever 22 so that the spring 26 causes the gage plate 24- to press against the outer edge of the plate. He then adjusts the type wheel 5 to bring the proper number to the printing line by turning the spindle 36. He then strikes the head 34 of the plunger, thus bringing the type wheel down onto the plate and printing thereon the type on the printing line. He then again operates the spindle 36 to bring another number to the printing line and repeats the operation. These operations are repeated until the desired number is stamped. Obviously, instead of numbers, the machine may be used to print other matter on the plates as for instance, the word patent and the patent number and date.

This machine is particularly advantageous in that it can be economically manufactured for all sizes of plates andreadily adjusted to all sizes of plates and printing locations thereon and further in that it can be quickly set to bring different numbers to the printing line.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A printing machine comprising a base formed with a guide, an upstanding bracket on the base in the rear of the guide and formed with an arm overhanging the guide, acarriage movable along the guide transversely oi the base and the bracket, means for feeding the carriage in one direction including an escapement mechanism carried by the base in the rear of the carriage, and at one side of the bracket, a type wheel movable toward and from the carriage, a plunger carrying the type wheel, the plunger being movable vertically in the overhanging arm and operating mechanism for the escapement mechanism including an angle lever pivoted to the bracket and having one arm thereof extending along the overhanging arm and connected to the plunger and its other arm extending lengthwise of the bracket and connected to the escapeinent mechanism.

2. A rintin machine com risin a base formed with a guide, an upstanding bracket on the base in the rear of the guide and formed with an arm overhanging the guide, a carriage movable along the guide transversely of the base and the bracket, means for feeding the carriage in one direction including an escapement mechanism carried by the base in the rear of the carriage, and at one side of the bracket, a type wheel movable toward and from the carriage, a plunger carrying the type wheel, the plunger being movable vertically in the overhanging arm andoperating mechanism for the escapement mechanism including an angle lever pivoted to the bracket and having one arm thereof extending alon theoverhan in arm and connected to b D b on the base in the rear of the guide and formed with an arm overhan in the 'uide b L b 7 a carriage movable along the guide transversely of the base and the bracket, means for feeding the carriage in one direction including an escapement mechanism carried by the base inthe rear of the carriage, and at one side'oi the bracket, a type wheel movable toward and from the carriage and having its axis extending transversely of the movement of the carriage and forwardly and rearwardly relatively to the base, a plunger carrying the type wheel, the plunger being movable verticaliy in the overhanging arm, operating mechanism tor the escapement mechanism be tween the plunger and the escapement mechanism, and meansior indexing the type wheel including a rotatable spindle extending radially relativcly to the type wheel and carried by the plunger, said spindle extending beyond the periphery of the type wheel to provide a portion for manual operation.

4. A printing machine comprising a base formed with a guide, an upstanding bracket on the base in the rear of the guide and formed with an arm overhanging the guide, a carriage movable along the guide transversely of the base and the bracket, means for feeding the carriage including an escapementmechanism carried by the base in the rear of the carriage, and at one side of the bracket, the escapement mechanism including a motion transmitting member, a type wheel movable toward and from the carriage, a plunger carrying the type wheel, the plunger being movable vertically in the overhanging arm, operating mechanism for the 'escapement mechanism including an angle lever pivoted to the bracket and having one arm thereof extending along the overhanging arm and connected to the plunger and its other arm extending lengthwise of the bracket and coacting with said member, and aspring for re turning the plunger to its starting position, said spring being carried by the base in the rear of the carriage and connected to said motion transmitting member.

5. A printing machine of the character described comprising a base formed with a transverse guide, a carriage movable along the guide, a second carriage mounted on the first carriage and adjustable transversely thereof, means for holding the second carriage on the first carriage in its adjusted position, adjustable gagescarried by the first carriage for positioning the printing plate on the second carriage in a directionlengthvvise of the first carriage, a gage on the second carriage between the former gages and a releasable clamping gage for the printing plate carried by the second carriage and opposed to the second mentioned gage, a printing member and operating means therefor, and carriage feed mechanism for the printing plate controlled by the operation of the printing member.

6. A printing machine comprising a suitable base and holding means-for a plate to be printed mounted on the base, an upstanding bracket on the base in the'rear of said plate holding means, the bracket being formed With an arm overhanging the plate holding means, a type Wheel movable toward and from-the plate holding means on the base and having its axis extending horizontally, a plunger carrying the type Wheel and movable vertcally in the overhanging arm and means for indexing the type Wheel in luding a rotatable spindle extending laterally, radially rela- 'tively to the type Wheel, the spindle being carried by the plunger and extending beyond the periphery of the type wheel to provide a portion for manual operation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, this 22nd day of March, 19:27.

JAMES F. KIELY. 

